Global Problem

E-waste is a global problem as well as a local one. Driven by high demand of technological gadgets and a short life cycle for new and improved electronics, mountains of e-waste are piling up around the globe.

Reuse and refurbishment sounds like a good alternative but unfortunately most material is too obsolete to have value once refurbished and it ends up getting shipped as scrap to other countries. An expose on 60 Minutes® revealed the global impact of export e-waste to other countries. For more information on the e-waste crisis go to http://e-stewards.org/the-e-waste-crisis/why-does-this-problem-exist/

Electronics Recycling Standards

An international organization, the Basel Action Network (BAN) established the highest environmental standards for recyclers in the industry. Blue Star Recyclers supports the BAN standards and use only BAN Certified e-Stewards® & R2 Certified downstream processors for hazardous and toxic materials.

For additional information about the e-waste problem you can visit the BAN e-Stewards website or view these two videos that provides detail about the e-waste crisis and the importance of upholding high environmental standards in electronics recycling.

Local Solution

Our ability to preserve and protect our local environment is directly related to the response from those inside our community and our commitment to ethically and securely recycling electronics materials. Because most electronics contain toxic materials, ethical recycling of these items is imperative. Yes — there is generally a fee involved to recycle these materials. But if we don't pay now, our community will bear the cost of hazardous remediation later.

The growing volume of e-waste is a local problem that must be addressed in each community. Toxic elements in electronics such as lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, pvc, and arsenic pose a threat to our community's soil and water supply when electronics are dumped in landfills. That is why Colorado state law requires businesses, organizations, and agencies to recycle their electronic waste.